US3714406A - Sealed housings for electronic or electrical equipment - Google Patents

Sealed housings for electronic or electrical equipment Download PDF

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Publication number
US3714406A
US3714406A US00119130A US3714406DA US3714406A US 3714406 A US3714406 A US 3714406A US 00119130 A US00119130 A US 00119130A US 3714406D A US3714406D A US 3714406DA US 3714406 A US3714406 A US 3714406A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
plate
sealed
trim
clamping plate
resilient
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US00119130A
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English (en)
Inventor
R Clarke
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Decca Ltd
Original Assignee
Decca Ltd
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Decca Ltd filed Critical Decca Ltd
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Publication of US3714406A publication Critical patent/US3714406A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02G—INSTALLATION OF ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES, OR OF COMBINED OPTICAL AND ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES
    • H02G3/00—Installations of electric cables or lines or protective tubing therefor in or on buildings, equivalent structures or vehicles
    • H02G3/02—Details
    • H02G3/08—Distribution boxes; Connection or junction boxes
    • H02G3/088—Dustproof, splashproof, drip-proof, waterproof, or flameproof casings or inlets

Definitions

  • a sealed housing for electronic or electrical equipment has a clamping plate sealed by a resilient seal to a main case portion and an outer plate or trim member to cover the heads of the fixing screws.
  • the trim member has protruding from its underside fixing pins which are gripped by resilient blind sockets sealed into the clamping plate.
  • the clamping plate is partly formed of transparent material so that dials etc. can be seen. Edge-illumination of the transparent portion of the clamping plate is provided by lamp bulbs mounted in sockets sealed into the clamping plate. The lamp bulbs, hidden by the trim member, lie in apertures in the transparent portion, thus bulb replacement can be effected without opening the sealed housing.
  • a sealed housing for electronic and electrical equipment which equipment includes at least one visual display device in said housing comprising a main case portion with an open face, a clamping plate fitting over said open face and secured to the main case portion by screws passing through the clamping plate, a resilient seal or seals between the clamping plate and the main case portion to ensure a water-tight seal therebetween, said clamping plate being at least partly transparent.
  • visual display devices such as dials, gauges etc., can be mounted for observation without each mounting having to be water-tight.
  • the clamping plate is wholly or is part formed of a rigid transparent material such as polymethylmethacrylate or polycarbonate.
  • one or more trim members fitting over part of the face of the clamping plate to cover the heads of at least some of the fixing screws, and/or the lamp fittings, the or each trim member having on its underside two or more fixing pins extending into blind sockets formed on or sealed to the clamping plate, the pins and/or the sockets being formed of resilient material so that the pins are gripped in the sockets to hold the or each trim member close to the face of the clamping plate.
  • the clamping plate with the seal or seals ensures that the interior of the housing is sealed against the ingress of moisture.
  • the trim member covers and protects the fixing screws and preferably forms a neat trim to improve the appearance of the assembly.
  • the aforesaid trim member may consist of a single apertured plate or trim extending around the periphery ofthe clamping plate and preferably covering the heads of all the fixing screws to the clamping plate.
  • This plate or trim in this case, may have a flange closely abutting portion will not be visible, being masked by the flange.
  • the main case portion and the plate or trim are made of moulded plastics material; the fixing pins being moulded integrally with said plate or trim.
  • the moulding may be made very accurate dimensionally and hence this plate or trim can readily be made to fit very closely over the clamping plate. This fit however does not in any way form part of the sealing of the main case.
  • a further plate for example bearing information concerned with the operation or use of the equipment is (or are) secured to the clamping plate by pins resiliently held in blind sockets.
  • control members In many forms of electronic or electrical apparatus, control members have to be accessible externally. Shafts for switches, potentiometers and other rotatable members may be taken through the clamping plate using suitably sealed bearings.
  • FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section through one assembly comprising electronic apparatus within a sealed hous-
  • FIG. 2 is a plan view of the assembly shown in FIG. 1 with a trim and lower part of the housing removed;
  • FIG. 3 is a section along the line 8-8 of FIG. 2;
  • FIG. 4 is a section along the line CC of FIG. 2;
  • FIG. 5 is a section along the line DD of FIG. 2;
  • FIG. 6 is a scrap section illustrating the fixing of the trim to a clamping plate
  • FIG. 7 is a side elevation of the assembly of FIG. 2;
  • FIG. 8 is a section along the line A-A of FIG. 2; and FIG. 9 is an underside view of the trim shown in FIG.
  • a main housing 10 which forms a closed structure, apart from the top closure to be described in further detail below.
  • a rim member 11 secured tightly to the housing to form a water-tight joint.
  • This rim member has a groove 12 containing a resilient sealing strip 13 extend ing completely around the unit.
  • Fitting on top of the rim 12 is a clamping plate 14. This clamping plate extends continuously across the top of the housing except for certain sealed apertures.
  • sealed apertures 15 see FIG. 8) for potentiometer shafts or like rotatable control members.
  • clamping plate 14 has holes 16 for fixing screws 17 for securing the clamping plate to the housing and resilient seals 55 are provided for the screws 17.
  • a transparent polycarbonate plate 18 which, on its underside, has a groove 19 containing a resilient sealing strip 20. This polycarbonate plate 18 fits flush over a large part of the clamping plate and the fixing screws 17 pass through the polycarbonate plate 18 and so secure that plate and the clamping plate 14 tightly against the rim 11 of the housing 10.
  • the top of the housing can be sealed in a water-tight manner using known sealing techniques.
  • a trim On top of the polycarbonate plate 18 is a trim (FIGS. 1 and 6).
  • the trim extends completely around the periphery of the polycarbonate plate 18 covering the fixing screws 17.
  • the trim 25 has a portion 27, (FIG. 1) extending across the plate 18 forming, in this particular example, two viewing apertures, and a flange portion 35, extending down over the edges of the clamping plate 14 and transparent plate 18 and abutting the upper surface of rim member 11.
  • the main housing 10, trim member 11 and trim 25 are moulded of rigid plastics material.
  • FIG. 3 there is shown an arrangement for edge-illumination of the polycarbonate plate 18.
  • Blind lampmounting sockets are secured to the clamping plate 14 and extend forwardly into apertures in thepolycarbonate plate 18, each aperture having an enlarged diameter portion which opens onto the outer surface of plate 18, thus forming an internal shoulder 40.
  • Each of the sockets has a screw-cap 41 which is arranged to seal onto the internal shoulder of its corresponding aperture.
  • a further polycarbonate plate 42 mounted below the clamping plate 14, is to be edge-illuminated.
  • the screw-cap 41 of the socket seals to a shoulder 40 in this further polycarbonate plate 42 and access to the screw-cap 41 is provided by apertures 43, 44 in the clamping plate 14 and polycarbonate plate 18 respectively.
  • the aperture 44 in the polycarbonate plate 18 is sealed by a blind grommet 34 of elastomeric material.
  • FIG. 9 which is a plan view of the underside of trim 25, there is shown six fixing pins 28 moulded into the trim 25.
  • FIG. 6 shows the trim 25 held in position with one of the pins 28 resiliently gripped by a blind socket 26 formed of nylon material. The socket 26 is sealed into an aperture 45 in the clamping plate 14, and
  • the polycarbonate plate 18 has a corresponding aperture 46 which has an enlarged diameter portion openof the fixing pins 31 is sealed to the polycarbonate plate 18 by a corresponding resilient seal 47, in the same manner as for fixing pins 28.
  • FIG. 4 shows the further polycarbonate plate 42 mounted below clamping plate 14, and having a recess 48 containing a dial assembly 49 having a transparent dial plate 54. Screws 51, wt resilient seals 52 under their heads, clamp plates 14 and 18 together. A colored cover 53 for an indicator lamp (not shown) is mounted in the plate 42.
  • the control spindle for the dial assembly passes through a sealed aperture (not shown) in the polycarbonate plate 18.
  • the trims 2S and 29 cover the bulbs and grommets so that they are not visible externally although the bulbs provide the necessary edge-illumination of the polycarbonate plate 18 to visual display device being mounted in a first aperture in said first plate; a first resilient seal between the first plate and the rim of the main case portion to ensure a water-tight seal therebetween; a second plate formed of rigid transparent material, having an edge-illumination aperture and securing apertures, and fitting over said first plate; a second resilient seal between the peripheral regions of the first plate and the second plate to ensure a water-tight seal therebetween; headed screws passing through the plates, interiorly of the seals, for securing the plates to said rim, a third resilient seal between the head of each of the screws and the second plate to ensurea water-tight seal therebetween;
  • a blind lamp-mounting socket sealed into said edge-illumination aperture in the second plate, a lamp bulb mounted in said lamp-mounting socket and arranged for edge iIIumination of said second plate, said edge-illumination aperture opening onto the outer surface of said second plate so as to provide access to the socket for replacement of the lamp bulb; trim having rigid elongate fixing pins extending from the underside of the trim, blind resilient pin-receiving and gripping sockets sealed into said first plate, a fourth resilient seal for each of said pins, each seal being disposed in one of said securing apertures in said second plate, the trim covering the screw heads and said edge-illumination aperture, each pin passing through a fourth resilient seal, which ensures a water-tight seal between the pin and said second plate, and thence entering a pin-receiving and gripping socket; a flange formed around the underside of the trim, said flange covering the edges of said first and second second plates, and abutting said rim.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Architecture (AREA)
  • Civil Engineering (AREA)
  • Structural Engineering (AREA)
  • Arrangement Of Elements, Cooling, Sealing, Or The Like Of Lighting Devices (AREA)
  • Casings For Electric Apparatus (AREA)
US00119130A 1970-04-09 1971-02-26 Sealed housings for electronic or electrical equipment Expired - Lifetime US3714406A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB1701870 1970-04-09

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3714406A true US3714406A (en) 1973-01-30

Family

ID=10087746

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US00119130A Expired - Lifetime US3714406A (en) 1970-04-09 1971-02-26 Sealed housings for electronic or electrical equipment

Country Status (3)

Country Link
US (1) US3714406A (fr)
DE (1) DE2108465A1 (fr)
FR (1) FR2092371A5 (fr)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4470314A (en) * 1982-05-11 1984-09-11 Mettler Instrumente Ag Measuring apparatus of the vibratory string type
US11081868B2 (en) * 2016-02-12 2021-08-03 Eaton Intelligent Power Limited Enclosure arrangements; components; and methods

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4894748A (en) * 1988-12-19 1990-01-16 Henry Shefet Control terminal for hazardous locations

Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2701964A (en) * 1952-08-22 1955-02-15 Pacific Transducer Corp Surface thermometer
US2987695A (en) * 1957-04-26 1961-06-06 Maitland J Peak Lamp socket and circuit connecting means for edge lighted panel
US3043948A (en) * 1960-04-08 1962-07-10 Gen Electric Combination lens and lamp holder
FR1304069A (fr) * 1961-07-25 1962-09-21 Système de fermeture par rivets mobiles auto-serrants, notamment pour emballages de formes diverses
US3252568A (en) * 1963-11-20 1966-05-24 Uarco Inc Data tape package
US3258737A (en) * 1966-06-28 Ciavaglia silent underwater beacon
US3446178A (en) * 1966-11-29 1969-05-27 Gen Time Corp Convertible scale speedometer construction
US3610914A (en) * 1970-04-27 1971-10-05 Dana J Blackwell Illuminated indicating instrument with front replaceable lamps

Patent Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3258737A (en) * 1966-06-28 Ciavaglia silent underwater beacon
US2701964A (en) * 1952-08-22 1955-02-15 Pacific Transducer Corp Surface thermometer
US2987695A (en) * 1957-04-26 1961-06-06 Maitland J Peak Lamp socket and circuit connecting means for edge lighted panel
US3043948A (en) * 1960-04-08 1962-07-10 Gen Electric Combination lens and lamp holder
FR1304069A (fr) * 1961-07-25 1962-09-21 Système de fermeture par rivets mobiles auto-serrants, notamment pour emballages de formes diverses
US3252568A (en) * 1963-11-20 1966-05-24 Uarco Inc Data tape package
US3446178A (en) * 1966-11-29 1969-05-27 Gen Time Corp Convertible scale speedometer construction
US3610914A (en) * 1970-04-27 1971-10-05 Dana J Blackwell Illuminated indicating instrument with front replaceable lamps

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4470314A (en) * 1982-05-11 1984-09-11 Mettler Instrumente Ag Measuring apparatus of the vibratory string type
US11081868B2 (en) * 2016-02-12 2021-08-03 Eaton Intelligent Power Limited Enclosure arrangements; components; and methods
US11682887B2 (en) 2016-02-12 2023-06-20 Eaton Intelligent Power Limited Enclosure arrangements; components; and methods

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE2108465A1 (de) 1971-10-28
FR2092371A5 (fr) 1972-01-21

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